Process for carrying out continuous fusions



'W. O. MITSCHERLING PROCESS FOR CARRYING OUT CONTINUOUS FUSIONS Filed March 21, 1922 14/0 Mafscfzrhzgg,

' Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,452,520 PATENT OFFICE.

i WALDEMAR OSCAR MITSCHERLING, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR '10 ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS FOR CARRYING OUT CONTINUOUS FUSIONS. A

Application flled March 21, 1922. Serial No. 545,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALDEMAR OSCAR MITSCHERLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes for Carrying Out Continuous Fusions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for carrying out continuous fusions. In certain chemical manufactures it is sometimes necessary to carry on a. process known to the art as a fusion. This usually consists of heating the substance with caustic soda or some other alkaline substance or with a solution of caustic soda or similar alkaline substance. It is a well known fact that a lesserquantity of caustic soda is needed to attain a given result if a fusion is carried on under pressure.

At the present time it is customary to carry on these fusions in a closed vessel known as an autoclave, the pressure being as generated by heating the mixture in the vessel. (This mixture usually contains water and, on heating, steam is formed and pressure built up inside theapparatus.)

It is .knownthat to attain a given pressure it is necessary to heat the substances in an autoclave to a given temperature. In certain cases it isdesirable to use high pressure at arelatively low temperature. This mav be done by forcing the liquid through a heated pipe, the pressure being governed by a pump. A process like this, however, requires complicated-and troublesome apparatus.

According to the resent inventon the fuson is carried out 1n. a rapidly rotating tube, the pressure being developed by the use of centrifugal force- The mixture to be fused is fed into the bowl of a. supercentrifilg, said bowl being maintained in a heated 5 condition. While passing through the tube the solution is subjected to centrifugal force by the rapid rotation of the tube. This centrifugal force amounts to a pressure of several hundred pounds per square inch at the periphery of the bowl. Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides means for subjecti sure in a continuous operation.

The figure shown in the accompanying;

the liquid to heat and presdrawing is a vertical sectional view of the casing of a supercentrifuge with the rotating bowl or tube in elevation. The liquid that is to be subjected to the fusion is introduced to the bowl at the inlet 5 and therefrom into an outlet 6. Structures of this nature are well known in the art.

However, according to the present invention the bowl or rotative tube 7 of the centrifuge is maintained in a heated condition by a resistance coil 8 which is wrapped about said bowl and to which current is supplied through brushes 9 and 10 and conductors 11 and 12, the brushes 9 and 10 traveling upon bands 13 and 14: constituting the terminals of the coil..

The liquid. is subjected to the fusion process for a time which may be varied by the rate of feeding the liquid to the bowl and by the nature of the material being fused.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe use of the particular apparatus described but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

passes 1. The herein described process of carrying out a continuous fusion which consists of passing the material in the form of a. solution through a rapidly rotating tube and externally heating the said tube to a point to efi'ect such fusion.

2. The herein described process for carrying out a continuous fusion whichconsists of passing the material to be treated, in the form of a solution, througha rapidly rotating tube of uniform diameter and heating the exterior of the tube throughout its length to a point to effect such fusion.

3. The herein described process for carrying out a. continuous fusion which consists of passing the liquid to be treated through a rapidly rotating tube and maintaining said tube in a heated condition whereby the quid is subjected toboth heat and pressure in a continuous operation. f

In testimony whereof I ailix y signature in the presence of two witnexes. I WALDEMAR OSCAR MITSCHERLING.

Witnesses:

Fnnonmc Boone-r, J12, Tnomas J. 1' 

